The lawyer for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday claimed that the Supreme Court may have taken its time on deciding on his client's case as courtesy to former President Benigno Aquino III.

In an interview with ANC's Headstart, Atty. Estelito Mendoza said though he cannot speak for the high court, he believes the Supreme Court has delayed the decision because Aquino might be offended.

"I think it is more out of courtesy, precisely, to President Aquino because the Supreme Court might feel that he would be offended--I do not know if that is the right word--if President Arroyo were acquitted," he said.

"As a matter of deference or courtesy, they waited [until] his term of office expired. Of course, this is all speculation, but that has nothing to do with merits of the decision," he added.

He also does not believe that the assumption of President Rodrigo Duterte into the post have influenced the decision from the Supreme Court "because that case was ripe for decision even before President Duterte became President."

Citing "insufficiency of evidence," the high court voted 11-4 to grant Arroyo's petition and reverse Sandiganbayan First Division's April 6, 2015 and September 10, 2015 resolutions that denied her plea for demurrer to evidence, effectively granting her aqcuittal.

READ: SC grants Arroyo plea, orders her release

The high court also ordered Arroyo's release from her hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where she has been detained since October 2012.

Mendoza lamented that among those charged with "conspiracy to commit plunder" and misuse funds from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), only she and former PCSO budget officer Benigno Aguas remain detained.

He noted Arroyo was unjustly detained while the other accused who were members of the PCSO board had their petition for demurrer granted or were let out on bail.

"They were all acquitted and even before that when they were arrested, they were promptly released on bail. But in our case, it was when you say hospital detention that is the mild way of saying it. The real essence is that she was imprisoned," he said.

Ahead of the Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday, the Ombudsman filed another plunder and malversation complaint over the confidential and intelligence funds diverted to PCSO to the Sandiganbayan.

Mendoza, though not categorically saying the move from the Ombudsman is purely political, noted that "Aquino always took pride in saying this is a signal accomplishment of the 'Daang Matuwid' platform of the party." He admitted, politics made it difficult to defend Arroyo's case.

"The political atmosphere was so loaded, became so loaded, against President Arroyo. No less than President Aquino who would consider her as a symbol of corruption. That would always make it very difficult," he said.

Arroyo was charged with plunder in the alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds that went to “fictitious” expenses in the last two and a half years of her term just days before then-President Aquino was set to deliver his State of the Nation Address.

With the acquittal released, Mendoza said they are now awaiting the decision from the Supreme Court to reach the Sandiganbayan so that Arroyo may walk free.